|| '|| .
... .. ... || .. .... ... .... ... .. .... .... .... ... ... .... .... ....
|| || || || .' '|. | .|...|| ||' '' ||. ' .|...|| ||. ' ||' || '' .|| .| '' .|...||
|| || || ||'|. '|.| || || . '|.. || . '|.. || | .|' || || ||
.||. .||. ||. .||. ||. '| '|...' .||. |'..|' '|...' |'..|' ||...' '|..'|' '|...' '|...'
||
'''' - gemini edition
`Both kite and boy lay motionless. The pitter-patter of the toddler's feet breaks the silence. Benjamin springs up. Daniel leaps into his brother, who is always ready to catch him, like a TV wrestler. Both scream to the top of their lungs with unfiltered emotion, followed by laughter. They roll around the grass, dirt, and twigs, finally finding a resting place near an ant pile. The kite has tangled them.`
I blink my eyes open. Focus. Silence.
Where am I? Sniff. Clean. Fresh.
White walls. Starchy scratchy white sheets. Pressure in my eyes.
Cloudy window. Snow. Bright. Splitting headache. Silence
Disoriented. Is my brother okay? I look around.
Nurse. Yes, Definitely in a hospital.
"Is my brother okay?" Silence. Heart racing.
"Hey!" Silence. Head throbbing.
She checks the machines and tubes. A doctor walks in with my family.
They look worried or upset. Dad making a scene.
Brother is okay. Exhale. Smile.
Mouths move and hands flail. I think they are talking about me.
Pain. Exhaustion. Silence.
"Why can't I hear myself? Where is my voice??" Nurse calms me.
I scream.
He finally woke up today. Hopeful.
We ride the elevator. Jingle Bells. Cold, awkward silence. Can't think. Haze.
There he is. Tubed. There's a knot in my core.
Keep it together. I want to talk at him, but I can't.
Machines beep and whirl. Bandages cover his head.
Dad says he deserved it. I don't think I agree.
Thoughts are noisy. Distorted. I went too far and now he's broken. I did that. Hurt him.
That day still replays in my head. Like a bad dream. It's real.
Dad is yelling at the Doctor. "Stop it." They are only trying to help.
My brother was only trying to help. He's watching us now. His eyes are still swollen. I can't look at him. Fuck.
I look at the floor. It's clean and polished. Like new. Slowly back away.
Heart pounds and legs shake. I can't look at him.
Fists and jaw clenched. It does nothing. "I'm sorry"
The whisper hurts my throat, as if it forced it's way out.
30k down the drain. It's fucking cheaper for a funeral. I can smell the sickness and weakness through the walls.
"I hate hospitals." I hate doctors.
"What the fuck do you mean surgery is 60k!? No. NO!" Scammers. Deceivers. Scum.
"You just want my money." Greedy. "Fuck you, asshole. Leave him how he is. I'm not a charity."
Benjamin doesn't even work for me. I face her and command to leave.
This place is making me sick. Wreaths and mistletoe.
I can't pay my debt back.
I need to pay Steve soon.
Anticipation. "He will be okay. My baby."
I hold Dani's hand while we go up. He doesn't jerk it.
We step into the room. Its cold. I see him. Instant tears of relief.
"He will be okay?" But my boy suffers. I hold my wails but to no avail.
"Richard, please, not now. We need to do it. Say yes, I want him back to normal." Heartbreak.
Why? Why? You are a monster. A tyrant. Pure evil. I want my son's back.
You are poisoning them.
Turning them against each other.
Anger. Suffering. I suffer for my sons.
___
👣 powered by python and jetforce 👣